Two To Tango
by trackstar777
Summary: Team Dark is sent on a mission to recover one of the Sol Emeralds. It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out mission, but the reappearance of a certain feline changes everything. Soon, it becomes an all-out race for the Emerald. Four Teams. Four causes. Based off of the Treasure Team Tango arc from "Sonic Universe". Shadaze. I'll update if people want me to. Mistakes fixed. R&R/PM.
1. Chapter 1

"Do we all know why we're here?" Shadow asked the rest of his squad.

"Of course," Rouge replied, "to retrieve the Sol Emerald from this area."

"Right, but we can bet we aren't the only ones looking for it. There's a Freedom Fighters base not far from here," Shadow explained, "and I'm sure that robot-girl has picked up its energy signature by now."

"So what's the plan _squad leader_?" Rouge asked mockingly.

"First, we get the satellite up-link to the Freedom Fighters' base," Shadow said, ignoring Rouge's taunting tone. Shadow looked at Omega, the mobile armory, who's back opened up to reveal a computer terminal. Shadow walked over to Omega and started up a satellite mapping program, while Rouge updated the eyepiece she was wearing.

"Alright, Rouge, download the map data onto your eyepiece and tell us what you see."

Rouge searched the virtual surroundings until she found her boon.

"There appears to be a group of people heading in the direction of the energy signature," Rouge reported.

"Can you identify them?" Shadow asked, impatiently.

"Ya, ya. Just give me a sec'," Rouge said before returning her attention to the map, "there's a pink one with a hammer, I assume that's Amy; a small one carrying a blue thing, probably that rabbit girl; and, a little farther away from the others, a purplish girl, I can't make her out though."

Shadow thought for a moment about the next course of action, "Those are the Freedom Fighters. Rouge, you tail them, try to get them to cooperate. Stick with them until you find the emerald, then take it and get the hell out of there. Omega and I will cover you."

"Sounds like a plan. That emerald is as good as mine...er..._ours_." Rouge corrected sheepishly.

"We'll stay in touch," Shadow said, ignoring her comment. Rouge took this as her cue to leave and took off into the thick canopy of the trees overhead.

Meanwhile...

"I told you already, Cream, we don't know what's out here or what that energy signature is." Amy explained rather impatiently.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Rose, but I still don't understand why you need to have the hammer out all the time-"

"Wait!" Amy interrupted, "do you see that?" Amy pointed toward a small glittering object in the distance. "That must be it!" she shouted as she ran towards the object. Suddenly, a burst of flames cut a swath across her path, stopping her in her tracks. A lavender feline appeared in front of the girls, fists engulfed in flames, and amber eyes that looked like dancing orbs of fire.

"If you do not wish to become a pile of ash, I suggest you return to where you came from." The feline said, coldly.

"Now wait just one second!" Amy retorted, "You attacked me, I demand some answers: Firstly, Who are you? and secondly, Why did you just try to kill me?!" The feline crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, challengingly, "To the latter, I did not try to _ kill _you, believe me, if I did you would be dead; to the former, I am Princess Blaze the Cat of the Sol Kingdom. Let it be known, if you come in between and me and the Sol Emeralds, you will meet an _untimely_ death." After that, she turned and started toward the object in the distance.

"Hold on!" Amy shouted at her.

"Now what?" Blaze growled, impatiently.

"You're Blaze the Cat? Sonic told us so much about you!" Amy said energetically

"You know Sonic the Hedgehog? The hero of Mobius?" Blaze asked, rather surprised that this girl knew one of the great heroes.

"Of course! I'm his girlfriend, Amy Rose." Amy stated, matter-of-factly.

"I was unaware Sonic was in a relationship." Blaze stated inquiringly.

"Well, technically I'm not, but only because we've never been on a date." Amy said reluctantly.

"I see..." Blaze said, mentally rolling her eyes.

"Um...Excuse me Ms. Rose," Cream's small voice chimed in, "the object you saw..." Cream held up a shard of glass that appeared to have come from an old bottle.

"This is humiliating," Blaze said stalking away, covering her eyes with her hand, "I apologize for any trouble I caused."

"Hold on, Sonic said your world needs the Sol Emeralds to stay stable, right?" Amy asked.

"That's right."

"That's what the energy signature is, isn't it? Why don't you let us help you find it? We could find it faster as a team."

"If Sonic trusts you, then I guess it would be fine. For the time being." With that, the three girls set out in search of Blaze's missing Sol Emerald. It wasn't long, however, before a voice addressed them from above.

"Hello, girls," Rouge said jumping down from the branch she was perched on. Blaze and Amy got into fighting stances, prepared to deal with the new threat.

"What do you want, Rouge?" Amy asked interrogatively.

"My guess is, the same thing as you. Mind if I lend a hand?" Rouge asked.

Cream Chimed in, "Sure Ms. Rouge-" but was cut off by Amy.

"No, Cream. She's a spy, she can't be trusted."

"A spy for G.U.N. your ally." Rouge returned.

Amy thought it over for a few seconds before turning to Blaze, "Blaze, what do you think?"

"Personally, I prefer to work alone, but since you kept to your word," Blaze said, "I trust your judgment."

"Alright then," Amy responded, "Rouge, you can join us, but don't even _think_ about double-crossing us."

After the brief exchange, the group, once again, began their journey toward the emerald. Amy remained weary of Rouge, who seemed all-to-eager to help, the entire trek through the forest. The group emerged from the treeline only to find themselves facing a massive ravine. Upon closer inspection, the ravine was laced with thick roots seemingly growing from the walls of the canyon. At the floor of the gorge there was a small cavern, made from intertwined roots. The source of the energy signature.

"We found it," Rouge said to no one in particular...

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing.**

"How are we gonna get down there?" Amy asked, looking down toward the cavern, a small hint of fear evident in her voice.

"I could fly you down," Rouge offered, "if I remember correctly, Cream can fly down on her own, but I'll have to make another trip down with the cat."

"I can take care of myself," Blaze responded bluntly.

"Alright then," Rouge said, skeptically before jumping off the side of the cliff dragging Amy along with her, despite the terrified screams from her passenger. Cream soon followed with her chao in tow, using her ears to slowly glide down the cliff side. Blaze was the last one to depart, she ran off the ledge and gracefully swan dove toward the canyon floor. When she neared the bed of the ravine, her hidden burden surfaced in a burst of flames emanating from her shoes, acting like thrusters and allowing her to gently land on her feet. The other girls stood in awe at Blaze's show of talent.

"What?" She asked impatiently, crossing her arms.

(And once again...) Meanwhile...

Shadow and Omega had been tailing the group of girls with Rouge in their midst. They had taken Rouge's hint ("We found it" if that was unclear) and flanked around to the opposite side of the canyon, out of sight.

"Rouge, we're in position, just grab the Emerald and get out of there," Shadow ordered through his com-device, "we're wasting time." Shadow then turned to Omega and gave it its orders, "prepare to fire, we're gonna level this place," he said grimly.

"Orders confirmed, Shadow," Omega's mechanical voice replied, just as its legs began to fold up into its body, stabilizing arms reached out from its waist and gripped the ground in preparation of unloading the massive payload of weaponry that was emerging from its upper body, "awaiting mark."

All of a sudden, Shadow's com came to life in his hand, exploding with the sounds of battle. Rouge's voice was heard above the fray, "I have the Emerald, I'm coming topsi-" She was cut off by a burst of flames, the force of which, Shadow could feel from the top of the canyon. He could barely make out the voice of one of the girls through the com, addressing Rouge, "You have one last chance, give me the Emerald and I promise I will not reduce you to a smoldering corpse," the voice growled, threateningly.

To say Rouge's response was over-dramatic would be an understatement, "Oh, I wish someone big and strong were here to save me!" Shadow sprung to action.

"Omega, I'm going down," Shadow jumped off the ledge and angled himself toward the cavern. Missiles shot past him and imbedded themselves in the roof of the cavern, with a loud _boom_ that echoed throughout the valley. Shadow expertly dove through the opening left by the ballistics and caught himself using his airshoes' thrusters gently landing on the cavern floor.

The cavern was filled with smoke, illuminated by the light filtering down from Shadow's entry. The smell of burnt wood overwhelmed Shadow's senses as he swept his surroundings, looking for his "distressed" teammate. He finally found Rouge's silhouette and walked over to stand by her.

"Shadow?" came a surprised voice, which Shadow immediately recognized with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Blaze?" he said, looking around frantically for her through the slowly clearing smoke. He saw the faint outline of her body, then the silhouette, then her colors began to slowly show through the smokey veil; her lavender fur and her stark white muzzle. He could see the look of confusion on her face, but it slowly faded and gave way to her usual cold, emotionless stare as the realization of the situation dawned on her.

"You're working with Rouge, aren't you?" She asked him, directly. Her voice mono-tone. Rouge looked at Shadow in surprise, realizing that he somehow knew Blaze.

"Yes, I am," Shadow slowly replied mono-toned as well, returning her cold glare. The smoke was almost completely dissipated, then. Amy appeared next to Blaze with her hammer out, apparently just finding the group and prepared to fight.

"A mission's a mission, hun'," Rouge said, addressing the two girls, "you can understand that, right?" Blaze ignored Rouge's comment, keeping her attention focused on Shadow.

Her eyes narrowed, "you will fight at her side?" She asked him. Shadow slowly nodded in reply, his ruby eyes never leaving her amber ones.

Rouge smirked, "you better step aside now, sweetie, before you get hurt."

Amy, who was busy trying to decipher what had happened in her absence, suddenly burst to life, "We're not going anywhere until Blaze has the Sol Emerald, right Blaze?" she said, wielding her hammer dangerously. Blaze responded by getting into a fighting stance, slightly lowering herself to the ground and enveloping her fists in flames, while still having the unspoken staring contest with Shadow.

"This is gonna be fun," Rouge said tauntingly, as Shadow slowly and reluctantly, prepared to fight for the Emerald.

**The next chapter is going to be the big showdown between Team Dark and Team Rose and, in case you were wondering, I did NOT forget about Omega.**


End file.
